Column and base.



P. DROSS & F. M. McLEAN.

COLUMN AND BASE;

APPLICATION FILED DEC.H. 1916.

Patented Sept. 25, 1917.

2 suciT' s-suzn I.

P. DROSS & F. M. McLEAN.

COLUMN AND BASE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. H, 1916- Patentedsept. 25, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- IIH PHILLIP DECS-S AND FRED M. MGLEAN, OF MERIDIAN, MISSISSIPPI.

COLUMN AND BASE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 25, 1917.

Application filed December 11, 1916. Serial No. 136,308.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, PHILLIP DROSS and FRED M. MOLEAN, citizens of the United States, residing at Meridian, in the county of Lauderdale, State of Mississippi, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Columns and Bases; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, when taken in connection with the drawings accompanying this specification.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved arrangement permitting a column or pipe section to be quickly mounted in a supporting base or adjacent stationary pipe section, which, when the column is so mounted will securely lock the same in position in the base and prevent removal of the column.

While it will be understood that the invention is generally capable of broad application in any case wherein it is desired to assemble and lock together adjacent parts, the utility of the invention is especially great when employed in connection with street lamp posts and the like, and hence, for convenience, the ensuing description will be confined to this particular embodiment of the invention.

Reference is now made to the acompanying drawings which illustrate a structural embodiment of the invention in a preferred form and in which,

Figure 1 is an elevational view of the lower portion of a lamp post or column mounted in its base or support.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3is a vertical section of the base with the column in elevation to illustrate the parts in locked position.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section showing the parts in position before looking has been effected.

Fig. 5 is a section similar to Fig. 4 but showing the parts in locked position.

-Fig. 6 is a vertical section of the base on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrow.

Fig. 7 is an elevational view of the lower portion of the column or base.

Like characters of reference in the several figures indicate the same parts.

As shown in the drawings, the base 1, is hollow and provided with an opening 2 in its top for the reception of the lower end of the column or section to be secured thereto, when the latter is mounted in the base. When intended for the support of a lamp post, the base will be fixed in the ground in the manner common to devices of this character. The upper portion 3 of the base is cylindrical or substantially so and is provided with a single internal thread 4 formed by cutting a spiral groove or valley 5 out of the inner wall of the base. The upper and lower sides of the thread 4 are respectively laterally inclined upwardly and downwardly toward the central axis of the base, as shown particularly in Figs. 3 and 6, and at the top of the base the thread 4 is cutaway on opposite sides of the top to form notches 6, 7. These notches extend substantially through a quarter of a circle and are disposed in opposite quadrants as shown in Fig. 2. Extending laterally from the base 5 of the thread groove or valley 5 is a lockingtooth 8 having an inclined circumferential face 9 and a lateral locking face 10. Face 9 is inclined outwardly in the inward direction of the internal thread, 2'. a, in the direction of movement of the column when screwing the latter in the base. The locking tooth is preferably located in the groove 5 at a point in line with the vanishing point 6? of the notch 6, and is adapted to cooperate with a locking shoulder carried by the column, as will hereinafter appear.

The column or post 11 is adapted for the support of a lamp, but the lower portion only of the column is illustrated, as the lamp and upper parts of the column or post form no part of the present improvements. Near the lower end of said column is a flange 12, adapted to rest on the top of the base and beneath the flange 12 is a depending cylindrical portion 18 adapted to fit into thebase tohold the column in-position. Formed on the outer wall of the cylindrical portion 13 are oppositely disposed thread sections 14 and 15, each of which is substantially a quadrant in length. These thread sections are tapered, as shown in Fig. 2, whereby thethreads gradually merge into the cylindrical wall of section 13 of the column, and the sides of the thread sections are inclined laterally to correspond with the'incline of the internal thread 4, for a purpose which will hereinafter appear. At their point of greatest diameter, thread sections 14 and 15 terminate abruptly in lateral shoulders 14 15*, one of which is adapted to cooperate with the locking tooth 8. As

shown the thread section 14: is positioned below thread section 15 on the column and in fact if the sections were extended they would merge into one another and a single continuous thread would be formed. It will also be noted that the thread sections are located in opposite quadrants on the column 11.

In mounting the column in the base, the lower cylindrical portion 13 of the column is positioned so that thread section 14 will register with the notch 6 in the top of the base and concurrently thread section '15, will register with cut-away portion 7. The col umn can then be lowered so that the opposite thread sections 14, 15, are brought into engagement with opposite portions of the thread 4- in the base. The diameter through the points of greatest thickness of thread sections 14;, 15, is less. than the diameter between opposite points in the valley'or inner face of the thread groove 5 of the internal thread so that on screwing the column into the base a limited lateral movement of the column relatively to the base is permitted. The difference between these diameters is preferably such that movement allowed the column 11 is substantially equal to the lateral dimension of the locking tooth 8. Accordingly, on screwing the column. into the base, thread section 14: will pass by the looking tooth and engagement of the. outer face of said thread section with the inclined face of the locking tooth will gradually effect a lateral shifting of the column, so'that the opposite'thread section 15 will" ride up the.

laterally inclined face of the internal thread 4, opposite to the locking tooth. After the shoulder 14 has passed the locking face 10 of the tooth and the column is released, the.

column will center itself in the base, because the thread section 15 will slide down the incline of the internal thread 4:, and thus the locking shoulder 14? will seat behind the locking face 10 of the tooth. Consequently, if it be attempted to remove the column from the base by a reverse rotation of the column, the shoulder 14* will engage face 10 ofthe tooth and lock the parts together. In this way after the column has been prop.- erly mounted in the base, it is practically irremovable.

What is claimed is 1. In combination, a stationary hollow base having an opening in its top and an internal thread provided with a locking tooth; and a column adapted to be mounted in the base having an external thread provided with a locking shoulder for engagement with said tooth, the column having a limited lateral movement relatively to the base, whereby, on screwing the column into the base, the locking shoulder of the. external thread may be moved past the l cki g tooth,

and, on centering of the column in the base, said locking shoulder seats behind the look ing tooth and: removal of the column from the base-is prevented.

2. In combination, a stationary hollow base, having an opening in its top and an internal thread provided with a lateral locking tooth; and a column adapted to be mounted" in the base having an external thread provided with a lateral locking. shoulder for engagement with said tooth, the column having limited lateral movement relatively to the base, substantially equal to the lateral dimension of the locking tooth, whereby on screwing the column into the base, the locking shoulder of the external thread may be moved past the looking tooth, and, on centering of'the column in the base, said locking shoulder'seats be hind the locking tooth and removal of the column from the base is prevented;

3. In combination, a stationary hollow base having an opening in. its top and an, in ternal thread having laterally inclined sides and provided with a locking tooth; and a column adapted to be mounted in the base having an external thread provided with a locking shoulder for engagement with said tooth, the column having'a limited lateral movement relatively to the base whereby, on screwing the column into the base, the external thread may be shifted up the inclined side of the internal thread opposite said locking tooth to permit the. locking shoulder to pass the locking tooth, and, on settling of the column in the base, said look ing shoulder seats behind said locking tooth thereby preventing removal of the column from the base.

4. In combination, a stationary hollow base having an opening in its top and an internal thread provided with a locking tooth, the internal thread being cut away to form oppositely disposed'notches located, in the top of the base; and a column adapted to be mounted in the base having external oppositelv-disposed thread sections adapted to be inserted in said notches, one of the thread sections having a locking shoulder for engagement with the locking tooth, the 115 column having a limited lateral movement relatively to the base, whereby, on screwing the column into the base, the locking, shoulder of the external thread section may be moved past the locking tooth, and, on. cen- 120 tering of the column in the base, said locking shoulder seats behind the lockingtooth and removal of the column from the base is prevented.

5. In combination, a stationary hollow 125 base having an opening in its top and an internal thread provided with a locking tooth, the internal thread being cut away to form oppositely-disposed notches. located in, the top ofth base; and e. lumn adapted 130 to be mounted in the base having external oppositely-disposed tapered thread sections adapted to be inserted in said notches, said thread sections terminating at their portions of greatest thickness in lateral shoulders and the greatest diameter through the external thread sections being less than the diameter of the valley of the internal thread, the column having a limited lateral 10 movement relatively to the base, whereby,

on screwing the column into the base, the locking shoulder of the external thread section may be moved past the locking tooth, and, on centering of the column in the base, said locking shoulder seats behind the locking tooth andremoval of the column from the base is prevented.

PHILLIP DROSS. FRED M. McLEAN.

Copies 01' this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0 

